If you need to cut some pavers to build a driveway, patio, or walkway, the miter saw is a great tool to use. In fact, the miter saw is one of the best tools to use for this task, but you do need to know how to do so effectively. Therefore, how to cut pavers with a miter saw is exactly what we are going to teach you today.
Is a Miter Saw the Right Tool for Cutting Pavers?
Indeed, the miter saw is one of the best tools for cutting pavers. This is true for many reasons.
First of all, you can easily fit a diamond masonry cutting blade into a miter saw, which is the best type of blade to use for this
Moreover, you do want to use a dual compound sliding miter saw, because you’ll be able to easily adjust the angle of the blade. If you need to make many cuts, especially repeat cuts, then this is one of the best tools to use. A miter saw as long as you have the right blade, can cut concrete pavers and many other types of pavers too.
That said, you may also use a hammer and chisel, which is fine if you just have a few stones and don’t need the cuts to be clean. If you want to go with this method, make sure that you have a dedicated stone-splitting chisel. You can then also use a dedicated paver splitter, which is kind of like a hammer and chisel, although a bit faster.
Other tools that you may use for this task include a circular saw fitted with a diamond cutting blade, a rotary tool, a concrete saw, or a wet saw. As you can see, there are many options at your disposal here.
How to Cut Pavers Using a Miter Saw
Now that we know that the miter saw is an ideal tool to cut pavers, let’s figure out how it’s done.
1. Prepare Your Miter Saw
You first need to prepare your miter saw to cut pavers, by which we mean replacing a standard blade with a diamond masonry cutting blade. You cannot use a standard miter saw blade used for cutting wood to cut through stone or concrete pavers. Make sure that the blade is firmly affixed, both for safety and to ensure you get the best results.
2. Measure and Mark
You will now need to take the measurements of the area where you will be placing the paver. Make sure to take accurate measurements, and then transfer those measurements onto the paver.
Use a ruler, a T-square, or any other such tools at your disposal to make sure that your markings are straight and on point. You should use white chalk to mark the lines, as it is very visible and also washes away easily, unlike pencil.
3. Get the Paver Wet
One of the most important steps for you to follow here is to make sure that the paver is wet before you cut it. Pavers are made out of concrete or stone, and when they are cut with any kind of circular saw, they produce a lot of toxic dust.
To cut down on the dust produced, getting the paver wet is recommended. Therefore, get a bucket, fill it with water, and dip the paver in before cutting.
If the paver is too large for any bucket you have, simply pour water over the top of the paver. If some of the chalk lines disappeared, now is the time to redo those chalk lines.
4. Place the Paver on the Miter Saw
A miter saw has its own base or table, and you need to put the paver down onto it. Make sure that the back edge of the paver rests very firmly against the fence of the miter saw. The fence of the miter saw will help keep the paver straight and in line while you make your cut.
At this time, although it may be unnecessary, you can also adjust the angle or bevel of the miter saw blade, in case you are making an angled or a beveled cut. However, the most important thing here is that the paver rests firmly against the fence.
5. Start the Saw and Make the Cut
With the markings that you have made lined up perfectly with the blade, now is the time to start up your miter saw. Make sure that the miter saw is running at full speed before you do anything. Take the miter saw by the handle, and slowly move it down into the paver along the line.
This will obviously be much easier if you have a sliding miter saw because you will then be able to just push the blade back all the way along the line until the cut has been made.
Now, if you have a very thick paver, chances are that you might not be able to make the cut in a single pass. If this is the case, you will need to flip the paver around and redo that same cut from the other side.
On the other hand, some people actually just split pavers once a cut has been made. Therefore, if your miter saw blade cannot cut all the way through the paver you can always just use this method to finish the cut.
If you need to snap the paver, place it on a flat surface, with the end being cut off protruding off of the table. You want the piece of the paver that you are using to rest firmly on the table. You are then just going to use a rubber mallet and hit the end that you will discard, and it should cleanly snap off.
Mistakes to Avoid, Tips and Tricks
Lastly, here are some things to keep in mind to make the process easier for you:
- If you have wide pavers, a regular miter saw won’t be able to cut the whole width of it. Therefore, a sliding compound miter saw is best. A blade that can slide back and forth will allow for a much easier paver-cutting experience.
- Whether you use water or not, pavers will still produce a whole lot of dust, and it is therefore recommended that you wear both breathing protection and eye protection.
- Always make sure that the pavers stay very wet while being cut, as this will help cut down on the dust being created.
- Remember that you never want to cut too deep into a paver in a single pass, because the blade may get stuck.
Summary
A miter saw is a great tool to use to cut a paver, and you should now know exactly how to do so.